meyer



Aug. 24, 1926. 1,597,368

- S. E. MEYER FLOTATI ON MACHINE Filed Nov. 3, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 L v J I mu 5 A4; mmlln 4 WNW!!! f 5. E. MEYER FLOI'ATION MACHINE Filed Nov. 5. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 O O O O O Patented Aug. 24,1926.

UNITED sra rns STEPHEN E. MEYER, HAYDEN, ARIZONA.

FLOTATION MACHINE.

Application filed November 3, 1925. Serial No. 66,557.

The present invention relates to flotation machines, and has for its prime object to provide an exceedingly efiicient machine of this nature for separating minerals such as gold, silver, and copper from their ores. Another very important object of the invention is to provide a flotation machine of this nature using a process of aeration to raise the pulp or feed through froth formmg screens.

Another very important object of the machine is to eliminate the necessity of us ing the mats of porous material which so frequently become clogged or choked and prevent the proper operation of the flotation process.

The above objects are carried out by a simple structure which is thoroughly reliable, inexpensive to manufacture, strong, and otherwise well adapted to the purpose for which it is designed.

7 With the above and numerous other objects in view as will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in certain novel features of construction", and in the combination and arrangement of parts aswill be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the drawing Figure 1 is a side elevation of the flotation machine embodying the features of my invention,

Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal section therethrough,

Figure 3 is a top plan view thereof,

Figure 1 is. an end elevation thereof, and

Figure 5 is a vertical transverse section taken therethrough substantially on the line 5-5 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrow.

Referring to the drawing in detail it will be seen that I provide a casing including the bottom 5, sides 6, and ends 7 and 8. A partition 9 forms with the end 7 and entrance 10 for the feed or pulp. A partition 11 forms with the end 8 the exit 12. The casing is divided into a plurality of cells by partitions 9 and 11 and partition 13, the cells being indicated generally by the letter A. On the sides 6 exteriorly of the casing there are provided launders 14, the bottoms of which incline downwardly from end 7 to end 8. The cells A are identical in construction and a detailed description of one will suffice for all. In each cell A there ismounted a screen of suitable foraminous machine.

material, the body of which is indicated by the numeral 15. This body 15 1s rectangular in formation having the depending flange portions 16 at the edges thereof. The screen is sup-ported by membersl'? projecting from the partitions 9, 11, and 13. Covers 18 extend between the partitions 9 and 11 and partition 13 and are of an inverted if-shaped formation in cross section as is clearly shown in Figure 5 so that the apex lines thereof extend above the median longitudinal dimension of the casing. The sides of the covers are spaced inwardly from the sides of the screens as is clearly seen in Figure 3. These covers 18 are disposed wholly above the upper edges of the sides 6, as is clearly seen in Figures 1 and 2. Below each screen there is mounted an aerator 20 of an inverted cup-shaped formation having a plurality of apertures 21 adjacent the upper end thereof. These aerators are supported on members 22 rising from the bottom 5. An air line 23 has branches 24 extending through the bottom 5, one below each aerator 20.

As is well known, a flotation machine is used in the concentration of minerals such as gold, silver, and cop-per. The ore being ground to a fine state and being mixed with water forms what is known as a pulp or This pulp or feed is treated with feed. certain chemicals and oils for causing the minerals to float by the aid of a flotation scribed in detail above can be operated either on the level orfon an incline to coin- Thismachine which I have deable to escape is forced through the apertures 21 under less pressure and continues upwardly through the feed or pulp and comes into contact with the screen 15. The flanges 16 force the air to go through'the screen thereby forming a froth. These screens are smaller in area than the inside of the cells so as to leave spaces therebetween, that is spaces between the edges of the screen and the sides of the cells which allows all sand that might accumulate on top of the screen to work itself back over the edges into the feed. The cover 18 forces the froth from the center of the cells over the edges of the sides 6 into the launders 1 L.

Particular attention is directed'to thefact that by segregating the product from the first cell or two and returning the product from the balance'of the cells in the series of the machine into the headof the first cell, a concentrate can be produced in the first cell or twofof such aqualitytojustifydoing away with the expense of retreating the product from a rougher machine through a recleaningmachine. Asis well known in the process of flotation, the rougher concentrate or the product from the rougher machine is run through what is called a recleaningmachineto raisethe gradeof the concentrate, the process being the same as producing the rougher concentrate.

The use of a recleaning machine can be done away with as I have explained with my machine.

One of the big problems of the flotation process in the mining or milling industry is "the eliminationofthe concrete or can as mat which becomes choked up with the ll e that is used in the flotation process. lVith'the screen in mymachine this problem is overcomejas the screen acts in place of the mats. The air coming up through the feed in the form of bubbles, upon striking the screen forms a froth.

. It is thought-thatthe construction, operation, utility, and advantages of thisfiota- :tion machine willf now ,be clearly understood by those skilled in this art without a more detailed description thereof.

The present embodiment of the machine has been disclosed merely by way of example since in actual practice it attains the features of advantage enumerated as desirable in the statement of the invention and ,theabove description. Numerous changes in the details of construction, and in the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed oi sacrificiiig any of its advantages. v e

Having thus described the invention, what claim asnew is 1. A flotationunachine of the class described including in combination, a casing having an entrance and an exit for' feed,

aerating means in the bottom of the casing, a screen supported above the aerating means, and:a coverspaced above tl1G.CaS11lg and the screen to guide the frotlrformed by the .screen'over the sides of the casing,

said screens provided with depending marginal flanges, the edges of said screen being spaced from the casing to allow sandwhlch may pass therethrough .to now back into *the feed, a aluralit of aartitions'in'theu Joel portion of the casing dividing said easing into cells, an aerator in the casingbelow each cell, a screen in each c-ell,- a cover'over each cell above the .screen' and'abo've the side walls of the casing, said screens having their edges spaced from the interior of the cells, and each screen'including abody having marginal depending flanges.

In testimonywhereof I 'aflix my signature.

STEPHENE. MEYER. 

